A charity that combats loneliness among elderly people by giving them hens to look after has been awarded a £1 million National Lottery grant.

The HenPower project, which started last year as a local initiative on Tyneside, is now expected to be rolled out across Britain.

Organisers say that raising chickens gives pensioners a sense of purpose and improves their health and well-being.

The charity HenPower has been given a £1million grant to help OAPs combat loneliness by caring for chickens

The elderly participants take charge of the day-to-day care of a chicken. The scheme is set to be rolled out nationally

Participants – nicknamed ‘hensioners’ – take charge of the day-to-day care of the hens and are encouraged to design coops and choose breeds to raise.

HenPower competed against 1,300 other charities across the UK to win the grant. Douglas Hunter, director of Equal Arts, the charity that runs the scheme, said: ‘When we first put in for the grant we had no idea we would even get to the final shortlist, never mind be awarded £1 million. We cannot wait to begin expanding the project.

‘We get so many inquiries about the work we are doing from all across the UK and even internationally. With this much-needed funding we can start taking action.’

‘Hensioner’ Alan Richards, 78, of Gateshead, said: ‘At first I was dead against the project. But then I came along to the meeting. I became more interested and started reading up on the subject.

‘And I love the eggs – they’re far better than the ones you get in the shops.’